January 07, 2015, 5:41AM

Pennsylvania prison inmates with serious mental illness who misbehave will be diverted to special treatment units instead of being put in isolated cells, according to a settlement released Tuesday. Full story »

October 27, 2014, 1:08PM

The Centre County resident claims after an unidentified Rockview inmate sent her more than 100 letters, many of which were of a sexual nature or focused on her personal characteristics, she asked for an investigation to determine the author. Full story »

September 29, 2014, 5:15PM

Jeffrey Thomas, along with his wife Ishave, of Reading, contended in the suit filed two years ago in U.S. Middle District Court he was ordered to use a jackhammer on a concrete pad despite not knowing how to use the equipment. Full story »

May 17, 2012, 4:55PM

Five female Department of Corrections employees in the mail room were decontaminated, taken to Williamsport Regional Medical Center for observation and later released after it was determined the powder discovered about 10:40 a.m. was not toxic. Full story »

December 28, 2011, 8:00AM

The power of an accurate map is underestimated. It once could mean the difference between shipwreck and success. Today, it could mean the difference between soaring prison costs and safer communities. For several months, Secretary of Corrections John Wetzel has been creating the most detailed maps ever of criminality in the commonwealth because he believes the answer to fixing... Full story »

May 11, 2010, 3:52PM

Pennsylvania's four new prisons, set to open in 2013, will be filled past capacity as soon as they open unless officials implement a variety of changes to alleviate the state's prison overcrowding, Department of Corrections Sec. Jeffrey Beard told lawmakers Tuesday. The inmate count is expected to top 54,000 next month, about 10,500 over current capacity. The state completed... Full story »

April 13, 2009, 1:00AM

This is in response to the recent Patriot-News' editorial about inmate phone call costs (April 9). I felt obligated to raise a few points that were missing. First, for inmates there are two options for making phone calls -- one way is collect, and the other is to purchase prepaid minutes from the prison commissary, which result in a lower... Full story »

February 24, 2009, 7:44PM

Not every aspect of state government is facing cuts in this down budget year. The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections will break ground this year on three 2,000-bed prisons for male inmates, at a price tag of approximately $200 million apiece. Work will likely start on a fourth new prison in 2010. All that is on top of funding in the... Full story »

April 29, 2008, 10:44AM

The Northampton County Department of Corrections is looking for an inmate who failed to return to prison from work release Monday. Vincent Anthony Keller, who was in prison for criminal mischief and theft by unlawful taking, was due to return about 5:40 p.m. He is described as white, about 5 feet 6 inches tall with a small frame, about 150... Full story »

February 21, 2008, 9:24AM

An inmate at Northampton County Prison failed to return Wednesday morning from work release, a news release from the county Department of Corrections says. Scott Laamar Richardson was serving a six-month domestic relations sentence. His last known location was Allentown. Richardson is described as black, 5 feet 9 inches tall and 240 pounds with a medium build. He has long... Full story »

January 28, 2008, 2:45PM

The ousted head of a state prison from which a murderer escaped has retired, the state Department of Corrections said today. Marilyn Brooks' retirement date was effective Saturday, the department said. Her salary was nearly $112,000 a year. Brooks was removed as superintendent of the Albion state prison in Erie County shortly after prisoner Malcolm Kysor hid in a garbage... Full story »

December 04, 2007, 10:47AM

Duran Allen Moore failed to return to Northampton County Prison from work release early this morning, according to the Department of Corrections. Moore, who was serving a three-month sentence for domestic relations charges, was last known to be at the Bethlehem Brew Works. He was reported missing about 4 o'clock Moore is described as a black, about 210 pounds, 6... Full story »

November 09, 2007, 11:06AM

An inmate at Northampton County Prison failed to return from work release at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Department of Corrections. Brian Nelson Dixon's last known location was the Bethlehem area. Nelson is described as a black man, about 5 feet 9 inches tall and 180 pounds, with short black hair and various tattoos. The Department of Corrections asks... Full story »

November 07, 2007, 11:19AM

An inmate at Northampton County Prison failed to return from work release at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Department of Corrections. Edward Fleming's last known location was Easton. He is described as being 6 feet three inches tall, about 215 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. Fleming is serving time for access device fraud with a minimum sentence... Full story »

October 26, 2007, 9:51AM

An inmate at Northampton County Prison failed to return from work release about 8:45 p.m. Thursday, according to a news release from the Department of Corrections. Tristan Neil Burd's last known locations were the areas of Easton and Bangor. The Department of Corrections says he is about 5 feet 10 inches tall, 165 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes, a... Full story »